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Adventures of Captain Marvel
Original theatrical poster for Adventures of Captain Marvel Episode 10: "Doom Ship"
Directed by	William Witney John English
Produced by	Hiram S. Brown, Jr.
Written by	Character: Bill Parker C. C. Beck Screenplay: Ronald Davidson Norman S. Hall Arch B. Heath Joseph Poland Sol Shor
Starring	Tom Tyler Frank Coghlan Jr. William Benedict Louise Currie Robert Strange Harry Worth Bryant Washburn John Davidson
Music by	Cy Feuer
Cinematography	William Nobles
Distributed by	Republic Pictures
Release date(s)	28 March 1941
Running time	216 min. (12 chapters)
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$135,553 (Negative cost: $145,588)[1]
IMDb profile

Adventures of Captain Marvel (1941) is a twelve-chapter film serial directed by John English and William Witney for Republic Pictures, adapted from the popular Captain Marvel comic book character then appearing in Fawcett Comics publications. It starred Tom Tyler (who also played The Phantom) in the title role of Captain Marvel and Frank Coghlan, Jr. as his alter ego, Billy Batson. Image File history File links Emblem-important. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... William Witney (born 15 May 1915 in Lawton, Oklahoma, United States – died 17 March 2002 in Jackson, California, United States) was a Film Director. ... John English (June 25, 1903 in Cumberland, United Kingdom – October 11, 1969 in Los Angeles, California) was a Film Director. ... Bill Parker was an American comic book writer. ... Clarence Charles Beck, (July 9, 1910_November 22, 1989), was an American cartoonist. ... Ronald Davison, KBE was a former chief justice of New Zealand. ... The Adventures of Captain Marvel, starring Tom Tyler in his most famous role. ... Frank Coghlan Jr. ... Other uses: Robert Strange (painter), (1721-1792). ... Bryant Washburn (28 April 1889 – 30 April 1963), was an American film actor. ... Cy Feuer (born January 15, 1911 in Brooklyn, New York) is a producer and director of Broadway musicals. ... Republic Pictures Corporation (aka Republic Entertainment) is an independent film, television, and video distribution company that was originally a movie production-distribution corporation with studio facilities, best known for its specialization in quality B pictures, westerns and movie serials. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... is the 87th day of the year (88th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The year 1941 in film involved some significant events. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... English is a West Germanic language originating in England, and the first language for most people in Australia, Canada, the Commonwealth Caribbean, Ireland, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States of America (also commonly known as the Anglosphere). ... The Negative Cost is the term for the cost of actually producing and shooting a film. ... The year 1941 in film involved some significant events. ... This article is about motion pictures. ... DVD front cover for The Adventures of Captain Marvel, one of the most celebrated serials for both Republic Pictures and of the sound era in general. ... John English (June 25, 1903 in Cumberland, United Kingdom – October 11, 1969 in Los Angeles, California) was a Film Director. ... William Witney (born 15 May 1915 in Lawton, Oklahoma, United States – died 17 March 2002 in Jackson, California, United States) was a Film Director. ... Republic Pictures Corporation (aka Republic Entertainment) is an independent film, television, and video distribution company that was originally a movie production-distribution corporation with studio facilities, best known for its specialization in quality B pictures, westerns and movie serials. ... This article is about the DC Comics character. ... Whiz Comics #2, the first appearance of Captain Marvel, the companys most popular character. ... The Adventures of Captain Marvel, starring Tom Tyler in his most famous role. ... DVD cover of The Phantom, starring Tom Tyler. ...

This serial was the twenty-first of the sixty-six serials produced by Republic and their first comic book adaptation (not counting comic strips such as Dick Tracy). Spy Smasher, also based on a Fawcett character, would follow in 1942. A comic book is a magazine or book containing the art form of comics. ... This article is about the comic strip, the sequential art form as published in newspapers and on the Internet. ... Dick Tracy (1937) is a 15-Chapter Republic Movie Serial starring Ralph Byrd based on the Dick Tracy comic strip by Chester Gould. ... Spy Smasher (1942) is a Republic Movie serial. ... See also: 1941 in film 1942 1943 in film 1940s in film years in film film // Events Carole Lombard is killed in a plane crash when returning from a War Bond tour. ...

This serial was the first film adaptation of a comic book superhero.^[2] That claim would have gone to the previous serial, Mysterious Doctor Satan, which was intended to have been a Superman serial until National Comics (now DC Comics) pulled out of negotiations. National Comics unsuccessfully attempted to sue Republic for producing a Captain Marvel serial.^[3] Mysterious Doctor Satan is a 1940 film serial named after its chief villain. ... Superman is a fictional character and comic book superhero , originally created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian artist Joe Shuster and published by DC Comics. ... The current DC Comics logo, adopted in May 2005. ... DC Comics is an American comic book and related media company. ...

Plot

The serial featured an adaptation of the Fawcett Comics superhero, placed within an original story in which he fought a criminal mastermind, called The Scorpion, who is determined to gain total control of a magical gold scorpion figurine, which is a disguised optical weapon of incredible power (including, but not limited to, melting rock via a projected death ray). Whiz Comics #2, the first appearance of Captain Marvel, the companys most popular character. ... For other uses, see Superhero (disambiguation). ... Look up Magic in Wiktionary, the free dictionary The term magic is a Persian loanword into English and may refer to: Magic (paranormal) deals with the manipulation of what the practitioner believes to be genuine paranormal phenomena. ... GOLD refers to one of the following: GOLD (IEEE) is an IEEE program designed to garner more student members at the university level (Graduates of the Last Decade). ... // Rayguns are a type of directed-energy weapon. ...

The Golden Scorpion is found during an expedition to Siam, which is also where young journalist Billy Batson meets the wizard Shazam while trapped in a crypt. Shazam grants him the ability to change into Captain Marvel in order to prevent the Golden Scorpion from falling into the wrong hands. See also explorations, sea explorers, astronaut, conquistador, travelogue, the History of Science and Technology and Biography. ... Anthem Phleng Chat Royal anthem Phleng Sansoen Phra Barami Capital (and largest city) Bangkok Official languages Thai Demonym Thai Government Military Junta under Constitutional Monarchy  -  Monarch King Bhumibol Adulyadej  -  Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont  -  President of the Council for National Security Air Chief Marshal Chalit Pookpasuk (acting) Formation  -  Sukhothai Kingdom 1238... Look up wizard in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Shazam is a comic book character created by Bill Parker and C. C. Beck for Fawcett Comics. ... Crypt is also a commonly used name of water trumpets, aquatic plants. ... This article is about the DC Comics character. ...

Back in the USA, the lenses of the Golden Scorpion are split between several people for safe keeping. However, one of them is of course the Masked Mystery Villain, The Scorpion. The heroes must discover his identity whilst preventing him from gaining all of the lenses and making use of the figurine's powers for criminal purposes. This article is about the optical device. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

Cast

• Tom Tyler as Captain Marvel
• Frank Coghlan Jr. as Billy Batson
• William Benedict as Whitey Murphy
• Louise Currie as Betty Wallace
• Robert Strange as John Malcolm
• Harry Worth as Prof. Luther Bentley
• Bryant Washburn as Harry Carlyle
• John Davidson as Tal Chotali
• George Pembroke as Dr. Stephen Lang
• Peter George Lynn as Prof. Dwight Fisher
• Reed Hadley as Rahman Bar
• Jack Mulhall as Howell
• Kenneth Duncan as Barnett
• Nigel De Brulier as Shazam
• Tetsu Komai as Chan Lai

The Adventures of Captain Marvel, starring Tom Tyler in his most famous role. ... This article is about the DC Comics character. ... Frank Coghlan Jr. ... Other uses: Robert Strange (painter), (1721-1792). ... Bryant Washburn (28 April 1889 – 30 April 1963), was an American film actor. ... Reed Hadley (June 25, 1911 – December 11, 1974) was an American movie, television and radio actor. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Kenne Duncan (born February 17, 1903, died February 5, 1972) was a well-known B-movie character actor. ... Nigel De Brulier (b. ... Shazam is a comic book character created by Bill Parker and C. C. Beck for Fawcett Comics. ... Tetsu Komai (1894 – 1970) was a minor Hollywood actor who had small parts in over 50 films from the 1920s until the 1960s. ...

Chapter titles

1. Curse of the Scorpion
2. The Guillotine
3. Time Bomb
4. Death Takes the Wheel
5. The Scorpion Strikes
6. Lens of Death
7. Human Targets
8. Boomerang
9. Dead Man's Trap
10. Doom Ship
11. Valley of Death
12. Captain Marvel's Secret

Production notes

DVD front cover for The Adventures of Captain Marvel serial.

The budget for this serial was set at $135,553 but the production's negative cost rose to $145,588. While the production was $10,035 (7.4%) over budget, this is not a significantly large amount for a Republic serial - The Lone Ranger Rides Again (1939) was $20,119 overbudget while Captain America (1944) went over by $40,283.^[1] DVD front cover for the film serial The Adventures of Captain Marvel. ... DVD front cover for the film serial The Adventures of Captain Marvel. ... The Negative Cost is the term for the cost of actually producing and shooting a film. ... The Lone Ranger Rides Again (1939) is a Republic Movie serial. ... The year 1939 in film involved some significant events. ... Captain America (1944) is a Republic Movie serial based (loosely) on the comic book character Captain America. ... // July 20 - Since You Went Away is released. ...

The serial was an outgrowth of Republic's failed attempt at a chapterplay to feature National Periodical Publications (today DC Comics)'s Superman, the script for which had become the studio's Mysterious Doctor Satan. The film company approached Fawcett Comics for their most popular character, and that publishing house did not refuse the opportunity. Director William Witney was, however, skeptical about trying to film Captain Marvel after the problems with Superman^[3]. DC Comics is an American comic book and related media company. ... Superman is a fictional character and comic book superhero , originally created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian artist Joe Shuster and published by DC Comics. ... Mysterious Doctor Satan is a 1940 film serial named after its chief villain. ... William Witney (born 15 May 1915 in Lawton, Oklahoma, United States – died 17 March 2002 in Jackson, California, United States) was a Film Director. ...

That decision made Captain Marvel the first comic book superhero to be depicted in film. National attempted legal action to prevent the filming, citing the previous attempt at a Superman serial, but they were unsuccessful. Writing in his autobiography of the period, William Witney revealed that in his deposition he had claimed that both Superman and Captain Marvel were derivative of Popeye^[3]. About a decade later, following a legal battle with National and a declining market, Fawcett ceased publication of all its comic series. In the 1970s, the Captain Marvel family of characters was licensed and revived (and ultimately purchased) by DC Comics. A comic book is a magazine or book containing the art form of comics. ... Deposition is a word used in many fields to describe different processes: In law, deposition is the taking of testimony outside of court. ... For other uses, see Popeye (disambiguation). ... Holdings Fawcett Publications Captain Marvel comic strips proven to have plagiarized those of National Comics Superman character. ...

The serial has been hailed as among the finest of the form for both its writing and its production values. In particular, the special effects produced primarily by the Lydecker brothers, and specifically the shots showing Captain Marvel flying, are often impressive. The flying scenes were done in long shots by sliding a hollow, slightly-oversized mannequin along a thin and slightly slanted wire to produce the illusion of a flying man. When the script called for a steep climb, the dummy was sent feet first down the wire with the cape's bottom weighted to prevent air resistance from flipping it up, and the footage was played backwards. These shots were augmented by acrobatic take-offs and landings executed by stuntman David Sharpe. The technique had been developed in the earlier serial Darkest Africa (1936) and was later used again in the "Rocket Man" serials (King of the Rocket Men, Radar Men from the Moon, Zombies of the Stratosphere and Commando Cody: Sky Marshal of the Universe) released during 1949-1953. Many critics think this kind of flying superhero special effect was not topped for decades, until the first Superman film starring Christopher Reeve in 1978. Some feel that the sight of a very human-like figure actually soaring across the sky is more effective than the obvious optical composites of the later films. The much cheaper Columbia Pictures Superman serials which appeared in the late 1940s used animated cartoon sequences to represent various actions, most frequently Superman's flights (Columbia produced the cheapest serials of the period and producer Sam Katzman was notorious for cutting costs). Special effects (also called SPFX or SFX) are used in the film, television, and entertainment industry to realize scenes that cannot be achieved by live action or normal means. ... The Lydecker brothers (also known inaccurately as the Lydecker Twins) were Howard Babe Lydecker (8 June 1911-26 September 1969) and Theodore Lydecker (7 November 1908-25 May 1990), a special effects team initially working for Republic Pictures on their serials and B-Westerns. ... Dave Sharpe (2 February 1910 - 30 March 1980 ) was an American actor and stunt performer. ... Darkest Africa (1936) is a Republic Movie serial. ... See also: 1935 in film 1936 1937 in film 1930s in film years in film film // Events January 6 - first Porky Pig animated cartoon September 28 - The Marx Brothers Harpo Marx marries actress Susan Fleming Top grossing films in North America Red River Valley Academy Awards Best Picture: The Great... King of the Rocket Men is a 1949 Republic Movie serial, in 12 chapters, important for introducing the Rocketman Character who reappeared under a variety of names in later serials Radar Men from the Moon, Zombies of the Stratosphere and the semi-serial Commando Cody: Sky Marshal of the Universe. ... Radar Men from the Moon (Republic Studios, 1952) was the first Commando Cody serial, in 12 chapters, starring newcomer George Wallace (1917-2005) as Cody and Aline Towne as his sidekick Joan Gilbert, with serial veteran Roy Barcroft as the evil Retik, the Ruler of the Moon. ... Zombies of the Stratosphere (Republic Studios, 1952) was intended as the second serial featuring new hero Commando Cody and the third 12-chapter serial featuring the rocket-powered flying suit introduced in King of the Rocketmen (1949). ... See also: 1948 in film 1949 1950 in film 1940s in film 1950s in film years in film film Events Top grossing films North America Adams Rib Jolson Sings Again Pinky I Was a Male War Bride, The Snake Pit, Joan of Arc Academy Awards Best Picture: All the... The year 1953 in film involved some significant events. ... For the franchise, see Superman film series. ... Christopher DOlier Reeve[1] (September 25, 1952 – October 10, 2004) was an American actor, director, producer and writer. ... // Events February 1 - Bob Dylans film Renaldo and Clara, a documentary of the Rolling Thunder Revue tour premieres in Los Angeles, California March 1 - Charlie Chaplins coffin is stolen from a Swiss cemetery 3 months after burial March - Leigh Brackett completes the first draft for Star Wars Episode... The Columbia Pictures logo from 1993 to the present Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. ... The Superman serial was a 1948 15-part black-and-white movie serial starring Kirk Alyn as Superman and Noel Neill as Lois Lane. ... Sam Katzman (July 7, 1901 – August 4, 1973) was an American film producer. ...

While the Captain Marvel of the Fawcett comics participates in fairly light-hearted adventures and rarely causes injury, much less death, it was something of a shock to audiences in 1941^{[citation needed]} when the serial Captain was shown casually tossing villains off the tops of buildings and, in the first chapter, using a machine gun to "mow down" fleeing opponents.

The Scorpion weapon would reappear, decades later, in the 1990s Power of Shazam comic book.

The opening military scenes are taken from a 1938 Republic Pictures film Storm Over Bengal. See also: 1937 in film 1937 1939 in film 1930s in film years in film film // Events January — MGM announces that Judy Garland would be cast in the role of Dorothy in the upcoming Wizard of Oz motion picture. ... Republic Pictures Corporation (aka Republic Entertainment) is an independent film, television, and video distribution company that was originally a movie production-distribution corporation with studio facilities, best known for its specialization in quality B pictures, westerns and movie serials. ...

References

Here are some examples of movies that are based on comic book characters: Spider-Man 5/3/02 Spider-Man 2 6/30/04 Batman WB 6/23/89 Men in Black 7/2/97 X2: X-Men United 5/2/03 Men in Black II 7/3/02 Batman...

External links

• The Adventures of Captain Marvel at the Internet Movie Database
• Adventures of Captain Marvel Trailer at You Tube
• Dr Hermes Review of The Adventures of Captain Marvel